Introduction
Philosophers agree that the beginning of modern philosophy began with Rene Descartes. This was because Descartes insisted on thinking for himself instead of just accepting what he had learned. He doubted everything that could have been doubted. Descartes called this "methodic doubt." Descartes primary focus was on what the human mind is capable of achieveing through reason, or certain knowledge.
"I shall bring to light the true riches of our souls, opening up to each of us the means whereby we can find within ourselves all the knowledge we may need for the conduct of life and the means of using it in order to acquire all the knowledge that the human mind is capable of possessing..." Biography
Rene Descartes was born on March 31st, 1596 in the small town of La Haye in France. He grew up studying not only philosophy, but also law, theology, and medicine. At age 8, Descartes attended Jesuit School of La Fleche, where he studied Greek, Latin, Sciences and Math. He was the first person to describe the physical universe in terms of motion and matter.
In 1628 Descartes moved to Holland, where he spent the rest of his life. In 1635, he became a father to a beautiful daughter, Francine. Tragically, Francine died of Scarlet Fever at age five. Her death affected Descartes profoundly.
In the later years of his life, he tutored Queen Christina of Sweden in philosophy. He soon contracted pneumonia and later died on February 11, 1650, at age 54. Descartes and his rationalism are still thought to be the father of modern philosophy. Major Works
Discourse on Method
Meditations on First Philosophy
Principles of Philosophy
Dreams
Descartes got most of his ideas from the extraordinary dreams he had. In his first dream, Descartes was caught by a whirlwind. He then found a college where he took shelter from the violent storm. In this college he met an old friend who tried to give him a melon from a foreign country. When he awoke from this odd dream, he spent the next two hours terrified that it had been put in his mind by a demon.
His next dream was still a bit crazy. He dreamed that he heard a huge thunder clap and was suddenly trapped in a room full of fire and sparks. Even though the first dream was far more random, he felt this one was even more evil than the previous.
Descartes's third dream was more mellow. He was laying in his bed staring at a bunch of books on the nightstand beside him. The books consisted of an encyclopedia and an anthology of poems. Descartes believed that this last dream would show a way in which all human knowledge could be made into a unified whole. Famous Quotes
"The physical world is made up of one single substance. But each human mind is unique, and so each one is a separate substance."
"If we could see how the sciences linked together, we would find them no harder to retain in our minds than the series of numbers"
"I am indeed amazed when I consider how weak my mind is and how prone to error."
"Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power."
"If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things."
Bibliography
Robinson, Dave, and Chris Garratt. Introducing Descartes. New York, New York: Totem Books, 1998.
Moncur, Micheal. "Quotations by Author." Rene Descartes. 09 Aug. 2007. 12 Apr. 2008 <thequotationspage.com>.
Burnham, Douglas, and James Fieser. "René Descartes (1596-1650)." The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006. 13 Apr. 2008 http://www.iep.utm.edu/d/descarte.htm>.
Introduction
Philosophers agree that the beginning of modern philosophy began with Rene Descartes. This was because Descartes insisted on thinking for himself instead of just accepting what he had learned. He doubted everything that could have been doubted. Descartes called this "methodic doubt." Descartes primary focus was on what the human mind is capable of achieveing through reason, or certain knowledge.
"I shall bring to light the true riches of our souls, opening up to each of us the means whereby we can find within ourselves all the knowledge we may need for the conduct of life and the means of using it in order to acquire all the knowledge that the human mind is capable of possessing..."
Biography
Rene Descartes was born on March 31st, 1596 in the small town of La Haye in France. He grew up studying not only philosophy, but also law, theology, and medicine. At age 8, Descartes attended Jesuit School of La Fleche, where he studied Greek, Latin, Sciences and Math. He was the first person to describe the physical universe in terms of motion and matter.
In 1628 Descartes moved to Holland, where he spent the rest of his life. In 1635, he became a father to a beautiful daughter, Francine. Tragically, Francine died of Scarlet Fever at age five. Her death affected Descartes profoundly.
In the later years of his life, he tutored Queen Christina of Sweden in philosophy. He soon contracted pneumonia and later died on February 11, 1650, at age 54. Descartes and his rationalism are still thought to be the father of modern philosophy.
Major Works
Dreams
Descartes got most of his ideas from the extraordinary dreams he had. In his first dream, Descartes was caught by a whirlwind. He then found a college where he took shelter from the violent storm. In this college he met an old friend who tried to give him a melon from a foreign country. When he awoke from this odd dream, he spent the next two hours terrified that it had been put in his mind by a demon.
His next dream was still a bit crazy. He dreamed that he heard a huge thunder clap and was suddenly trapped in a room full of fire and sparks. Even though the first dream was far more random, he felt this one was even more evil than the previous.
Descartes's third dream was more mellow. He was laying in his bed staring at a bunch of books on the nightstand beside him. The books consisted of an encyclopedia and an anthology of poems. Descartes believed that this last dream would show a way in which all human knowledge could be made into a unified whole.
Famous Quotes
Bibliography